Forever and Always
by Hawkllama
Summary: To the blonde Shinobi, his actions revealed nothing of his feelings. But to the Hyuuga, his actions spoke a thousand words.


**Hey! So this is my first oneshot ive ever done before. DONT JUDGE! Well actually, I take it back. Judge all you want, and yes, I know that I probably have a few mistakes here or there. But whatever you do...don't be angry at me! Plz dood. I already know that a few of you will want to kill me after you read that part. But it doesn't end there! Nope! You really think I was that heartless? C'mon I'm heartless, but that...that's a whole new level of evil right there! XD Let the story commence!**

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To the blonde shinobi, his reaction revealed nothing of his feelings. But to the Hyuuga, his actions spoke a thousand words.

It was a simple C-Rank escort mission for some famous merchants from the Hidden Cloud Village to the Hidden Stone Village. Nothing was supposed to happen. The ninja were just escorts to ensure the safety of the merchant's goods. One of the merchants was the famous Hiromi Washari, who was renowned for his excellent jewelry and his sister Yuri, who was famous for her stylish clothes. There were 4 other merchants, and three happened to be related as well. Kenji, Rin, and Kimi were from the Yamahan clan. They all worked together in selling some of the best hair products are. The last merchant was Sonjun Farsha, who sold some of the rarest fruits in the five nations. The mission was assigned to the only available ninja in the Leaf Village, which happened to be Hyuuga Hinata and Uzumaki Naruto. Though the mission seemed too easy, especially considering their abilities, they both accepted. The mission was supposed to last for 5 days, but it lasted longer due to the fact that the merchants constantly made stops to check on their items. In doing so, they involuntary drug out the duration of the task.

It had been a rough week for Hinata. Not only was she watching out for bandits and ninja, but she also had to keep Naruto in check. Naruto, meanwhile, found the lack of action rather boring. So _of course_ he had to provoke a mountain lion. _Of course _he had to constantly try to pick a fight with passing caravans. He was Naruto. He did this type of stuff. But no matter how many times the blonde did something wrong, Hinata never lost her patience with him. Which was quite an achievement, because if the mission was with anyone else, they would've hit Naruto by now.

"Naruto! We're setting up camp for the night!" Hinata called to the trees. The caravan was stopped just past the Village Hidden by a Waterfall. Near them was a river, and of course, a waterfall. Their destination was very close. The trees above Hinata rustled, and Naruto appeared suddenly on the ground next to her.

"Hey Hinata! Are we going to eat yet?" The blonde ninja asked excitedly.

Hinata shook her head. "No, not yet. We still need to unpack the tents, and make sure that there are no ninja in the area."

Naruto's face fell, but then immediately lit up once more. "Alright then, what are we waiting for? Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He shouted. Next to him appeared 10 clones.

"Alright guys, lets set up the tents so we can eat!" Naruto enthusiastically said. The clones nodded then jumped off to help the merchants, who were struggling to get their possessions tied down, and hadn't even touched the tents yet.

The real Naruto got on his knees, and started to make a campfire. Suddenly he pointed at one of the clones and said,"You. Right there."

One of the clones asked confusedly,"Do you mean me or him?" The clone pointed to another clone.

Naruto waved his hand saying,"Either one of you. I need you to get some fire wood. And I need the other one to get the rest of the tents set up." Both clones nodded, then disappeared.

Hinata smiled. In the three years that Naruto was gone, he'd matured so much. And after the Fourth Shinobi War, he'd grown even more. Watching some of their friends die didn't alter his personality to a point where he was unrecognizable. He stayed strong through it all. After awhile, Hinata no longer fainted in his presence or blushed when he talked to her. She was now a brave and smart shinobi who could handle anything, Naruto included. The only thing that bothered her was her confession to him. He never talked to her about it, or even acknowledged her love and devotion to him. He merely continued his life as if nothing had happened between them.

_'Maybe nothing did happen, maybe I overreacted, but I swear _something happened_. I confessed my true feelings for him. Surely that meant something?'_ Hinata thought.

"Alright! Let's eat! We checked the area for ninja, and all of the tents are set up!" Hinata's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Naruto's voice.

"We still have to catch something," Hinata said chuckling. Naruto was sitting cross-legged on the ground, looking expectantly at her. "Maybe we could catch some fish-?" She began. Suddenly Naruto stood up, and grabbed her hand. Hinata yelped in surprise.

"Well, let's go fish!" Naruto said impatiently. "C'mon Hinata, I'm starving here!" Naruto pulled Hinata across to woodsy floor.

"We'll come fish too!" Hiromi called to the retreating figures of Naruto and Hinata. The other merchants nodded in compliance.

Naruto and Hinata continued to walk for a bit, until they reached edge of the river. Naruto let go of Hinata's hand, and crouched down to get a better view. Hinata did the same.

From behind them the underbrush rustled, then the merchants appeared. Kenji, Sonjun, and Hiromi were carrying jugs to fill with water. Yuri, Rin, and Kimi carried knives with them for catching fish.

The group that had the jugs went upstream as not to scare away the fish. The group at the edge of the river waited silently for a fish to swim by.

Suddenly, a fish jumped up from the rushing river. Naruto was the first to react, and threw a kunai at the fish. It hit the fish in the middle of its body, and stuck to a tree.

Naruto fist pumped the air. "Yea! One down, alot to go!" He triumphantly said. Hinata smiled slightly at him. He still was oblivious to her feelings for him.

Another fish leapt up into the air, and Hinata threw her kunai hitting it through the fin. This time, the fish and the kunai fell into the water.

"Oops." Hinata said. "Naruto," She asked,"Could I borrow a kunai?"

"Sure. Here, catch!" He tossed the kunai to her from across the river. She caught it easily.

The rest of the fishing passed in comfortable silence. Finally, they decided that they had enough fish, and set off back to the camp. They cooked the fish, and with Naruto's presence, the conversation was kept light and playful. Even if no one said it, everyone seemed tense. So far there had been no attacks from bandits, ninja, or anything else on their journey. Out of the merchants, Yuri was the first to turn in for the night. Hiromi followed her soon after, and eventually, everyone had gone to sleep except for Naruto and Hinata.

The pair sat in silence for a bit, taking in the chirping noises of crickets and the faint sound of rushing water, until finally Naruto spoke.

"I'll-um-take the first watch. So you can go sleep..." He said, immediately making the entire situation awkward. _'Dammit! Why do I always have to screw up?' _Naruto thought annoyed.

For a while, the blonde had liked Hinata. It started a bit after she confessed to him while she was protecting him from Pein. Her confession was all it took to open his eyes to see the woman standing before him. Eventually, he came to care care deeply for her. It was almost scary how quickly he fell for her. It was sad that he hadn't said anything yet. After her confession, he never asked her about it, never acknowledged it, and never seemed to care for it. It seemed as if he didn't care, but no, he actually did. He actually loved her, but wasn't sure on how to say. She told him when their deaths were imminent, but Naruto didn't have that luxury. He would just have to man up and tell her...somehow...

"Hinata?" he burst right before she disappeared into a tent. "Yes?" Came her reply. Naruto paused. _'What should I say?! Why did I even say anything?!' _He thought panicked. Even if he could seem cool, calm, and collected on the inside it was only because he was trained to do so. On the inside, he was a wreck.

"Naruto? Is something wrong?" Hinata asked as she moved towards Naruto. His face looked pale, and he was starting to sweat. Was he sick?

"No, I-um- could you use your Byakugan to search the area before you go to sleep?" Naruto said quickly. Hinata raised an eyebrow. Something was definitely wrong. Naruto didn't ever stutter. He was a confident man...well was. Now he was sweating bullets, and had lost all color in his face.

"Sure. _Byakugan!_" Hinata activated her eyes, and did a quick scan of the surrounding area. "Nothing out there. You should be good for the night." Naruto nodded. He could fight Sasuke, Madara, Tsunade, and even Orochimaru but couldn't simply tell a girl, 'I like you.' Telling a girl that you like her was a whole new level of scary.

"Okay. Thanks. Good-night Hinata." He said. She nodded,"Good Night Naruto." She turned back to the tent to go in and sleep.

Naruto watched her walk back to the tent. _'Damn it. I should've told her then...'_ Naruto thought glumly.

As Hinata lay on the sleeping bag, she found that she could not sleep. Instead her exhausted mind seemed to say,'You are tired, but not tired enough. So you will be stuck in that annoying state of sleep and awake.'

The next hour Hinata spent lying in the warm tent, staring vacantly at the ceiling.

Naruto passed the time by pondering why he was so worried.

_'It's just Hinata. Just tell her. She's already confessed her love to you. Why can't you do the same?'_ A small inner voice thought.

_'I don't know why I can't, I just _can't_.' _Naruto argued inwardly.

_'Suck it up. You could fight a army of ninjas, and not bat a eye, but oh of _course, _you can't even tell a girl you like_ her.' This time, Naruto recognized the inner voice as The Nine-Tails's.

'_What do you know about girls?'_ Naruto directed the thought to the fox. This had to be the weirdest conversation he'd ever had with the Nine-Tails. Most of the time, they discussed Naruto's and the Fox's combined power. Before he knew the fox like he did now, it would try to convince him to break the seal completely, in exchange the fox would grant all of his powers to Naruto. Sure, the seal was now broken, but it still chose to hang out inside of Naruto. Out of all the humans it had known, Naruto was the only one who wasn't selfish. Maybe that's why the fox chose to keep living inside of Naruto; he didn't want to face the world, in all of it's selfishness.

'_I may not know much about girls, but I doubt it can be that hard to say,"I like you." Compared to what you've dealt with before, this should be easy.'_ The fox replied.

'_You've obviously never had to tell a girl that you like them before have you? It's alot harder than it seems.'_

_'Do you need me to take over your consciousness, and tell the girl myself? Normally I wouldn't really care about your problems, but you've actually lost sleep over this girl. Not only does this affect you, but me as well. I've been suffering with you constantly thinking about her for hours on end. You've actually appeared outside of my old cage, and started ranting about this Hinata girl. From the sound of it, you must really love her, and yet you can't get up the courage to tell her so. It's pathetic.'_

Naruto frowned in dismay. '_Oh shut up. I've never thought about her for hours on end.' _

_'Oh I beg to differ Naruto. I've suffered over this girl as much as you have. I swear, humans are such emotionally unstable creatures.'_

Naruto sighed and ignored the beast. He wasn't exactly in the mood to argue with the Nine-Tails currently.

Hinata's tent rustled, and she suddenly came out and sat down a little bit over from Naruto. "You can go to sleep, I'll take over now." She said.

"Nah, I'm not even really all that tired. You can go back to sleep Hinata." Naruto replied.

"I'm not tired either. That's why I came out here." The two sat in silence, staring at the flickering flames.

"What were you going to say earlier?"

"What?" Naruto looked at the Hyuuga. She was still looking into the fire. The shadows danced off of her pale lavender eyes, making them appear a deep purple color.

"Earlier you were going to ask me something right? You were really nervous about it, so instead you asked me to check the area."

Naruto gulped. This was unusual. Normally Hinata would be falling apart, and Naruto would ask her about it. This time around though, their roles seemed to be reversed. Since the war, and Hinata's confession, she'd grown much more brave. She wouldn't faint and blush as much around him. Maybe it was because of her beloved cousin's death. Maybe it was because she was growing up, and she was the heiress of the Hyuuga clan. Either way, Hinata had changed. So had Naruto.

"I was going to um- I was-" Naruto stumbled over his words. Hinata listened to him stutter over his words. It was kinda cute how flustered he was getting. Hinata was kind of cofused over his hesitance. What was he trying to say?

"I-" Naruto paused. '_Suck it up Naruto. Be a man.' _The Nine-Tails spoke. "I was going to say...(He breathed)... I think I've fallen in love with you Hinata."

Hinata's eyes widened. He said...he'd fallen for her? He acknowledged her love for him and returned it?

"Naruto, I- I don't know what to say..."She breathed. He turned away from her. She didn't like him anymore. Why else would she not know what to say? There must be someone else she's fallen for.

"It's fine if you don't like me like that any more. It's my own fault for not telling you sooner. I mean you were in front of me the whole time. I just had to look."

"No it's not that," Hinata said,"I just...I thought my love for you was hopeless. You never seemed to feel the same."

The wind rustled the trees, and a breeze blew Hinata's hair across her face. Naruto looked to the violet haired girl. She looked to him. Lavender eyes met blue. A mutual understanding passed between them.

Suddenly, they both jumped up and Naruto threw a kunai into the surrounding darkness, as Hinata pulled out her's and took a fighting stance. "Come out! We know that you're there!" Naruto shouted into the woods.

A creepy cackling shattered the night, and a man suddenly appeared before them. His identity was hidden by the black cloak that covered his face, and fell to his knees. "Hello children. Did I interrupt a moment? I apologize, but I'll be needing to kill all of you." The man pulled out a kunai. "I'll kill you two first, then the merchants."

Naruto pulled out another kunai, and took his fighting stance. "Not today you won't." Suddenly, Naruto disappeared, and rematerialized next to the stranger. The stranger jumped away from Naruto's kunai, and appeared in a tree.

"RASENGAN!" A voice shouted from behind the man. As he turned Naruto thrust his hand into the man's abdomen. The man flew backwards into a tree, and Poof! A log was where the stranger should've been.

"Damn it. Replacement technique!" Naruto said in dismay. Hinata, meanwhile, was scanning the area with Byakugan for the man.

"Over there!" She yelled, and set off to the opposite direction of the tents. Naruto followed close behind. The two didn't go far before a gust of wind tossed the two ninja aside like rag dolls.

The pair fell on the ground, trees around them cut in half, some uprooted. "Well, "Naruto groaned, "At least we know what type of ninja he is. He's probably going to be using wind jutsus."

Hinata sat up, her side aching. Where was he now? Silence engulfed the forest, and the breeze blew her across her face once more.

Suddenly, she was on her feet, blocking what could have been a fatal blow, from the enemy ninja. "Who are you?" She whispered. Naruto stood up as well, and glared at the man.

The man and Hinata stood locked in place for another moment before they both jumped away. Naruto and Hinata looked around for the man again. He seemed to enjoy sneak attacks.

Then, the man's voice echoed from every direction. "Why would I give away my identity to you so easily? Even under threat of torture and death, I'd never reveal who I was."

"Well, that makes no sense since if you were captured, your captors could just remove your cloak and find out who you are." Naruto yelled to the now treeless landscape.

The man's chuckle resounded across the barren land. "Yes, that's true, but would you recognize me?" Naruto frowned. The man had a point. It would be unlikely that anyone who recognize him right off of the bat, unless they had a bingo book on them, or if he was even in it. He could be a ninja from another village on order to assassinate Hinata and Naruto.

Just then, the man appeared before them once more. Hinata wasted no time, and threw a handful of shruikens at the man. He dodged them easily.

"Is that all the ninja from the Leaf can do? I'm disappointed in you two. I've heard-" The man stopped. A kunai was protruding from his left shoulder.

Hinata watched the man intently with her Byakugan. He wasn't a replica or anything else. By some chance, the man had become distracted, and Naruto had took the chance to throw a kunai at him, somehow hitting him in the shoulder.

The man fell to the ground, gasping for breath. He knelt on one knee, and put his hand on the handle of the kunai. Ever so slowly, he started to pull it out. Hinata turned away. It was a gory process to watch, and even if she'd seen people die, and seen enough blood to last her for a life time, she still didn't want to watch.

Finally, she heard the man get to his feet. She turned back around and gasped. The wound was gone.

"You really thought that this knife," He held up the kunai," Could kill me? I'm insulted. How would you feel if I threw a kunai at you and assumed that you would die from it?" He sighed, then with blinding speed, threw the kunai.

The two dodged easily. Naruto held out another kunai and said, "This guy really needs to shut up. I hate his voice." From all around, the man's laughter echoed. The two moved to stand back to back.

"Who is this guy?" Naruto mumbled, more to himself than Hinata. Suddenly, they were surrounded by people dressed similarly to their first unknown man.

'_Uh-oh. This just took a turn for the worse._' Naruto thought. If they were inexperienced ninja, Hinata and him could probably take them out pretty easily. If not...'_'We've had worse before.' _Naruto glumly reflected on the Fourth Shinobi War, and his fight with Pein.

They ninjas all rushed them at the same time. Hinata and Naruto immediately jumped into action, punching and gentle fisting anything that was covered completely black.

Finally, the last ninja stood alone in a tree. "Hm...and I thought the two of you had no talent whatsoever." A famailar voice said. It was the first ninja that originally interrupted their conversation.

Naruto reached once more for a kunai, but found that he had no more. "Dammit." He muttered under his breath, and instead pulled out a ninja star.

"Let's end this now." Naruto called to the man. Hinata watched the man tense. Together, they both charged at the stranger.

The stranger jumped away grinning,"Wow...I take back what I said before-" _WHAM!_

Hinata appeared by the man, her hand in his stomach. She quickly got in a few more hits before she jumped away. The man growled.

"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!" He shouted. Out of no where, a tornado swirled in place; slowly building up power. Suddenly, it flew at Hinata. She was about to move when a arm encircled her waist, and she found herself out of the path of the tornado. She looked up in surprise at the face of Naruto.

"Are you okay?" He demanded. She nodded. "Arrigato Naruto."

Naruto nearly had a panic attack when the man directed the tornado at Hinata. His vision tunneled and all he saw was Hinata in the way of a incoming tornado. So obviously he jumped into action and pulled her out of the way. For anyone else, he wouldn't have felt as worried. For Hinata though...Ever since he started to love her, he felt the need to do the simplest things for her. Whether it be opening a door, carrying something for her, or even walking her home, he liked the feeling he got whenever she would smile and say,"Thank you Naruto."

Though he tried to hide how much he cared for her, it wasn't easy. It was especially hard not to volunteer to go on missions with her, just to be around her. '_The nine-tails was right_,' Naruto thought,'_I am pitiful. Following her around like a lost puppy. I gotta stop it. She's going to find out that I like her!'_

_'Is that a bad thing? Didn't you want to tell her earlier?'_ The fox said exasperated. '_And of _course _I'm right! Why would I not be?'_

"You think a few hits to my chakra system with take me out? You are sorely mistaken." The man laughed, though his laugh sounded pained, and eventually turned into wheezing coughs.

"You know what? I guess I'll have to just kill those stupid merchants first." He then disappeared. Naruto and Hinata shared a look of horror. The merchants were still asleep. Or maybe they were awoken by all the noise. Either way, Naruto and Hinata didn't have to worry about the six before. Their mysterious ninja guy seemed more interested in Naruto and Hinata. But now...Now he was bringing in six innocent people who are not ninjas, and who will be unable to defend from his attacks.

'_This night just gets better and better._' Naruto thought as him and Hinata dropped down into the camp. It was in disarray, with branches tossed over the tents, which were now collapsed. Their little campfire was extinguished by the gust of wind, and was now a pile of burnt up logs and twigs. The pair looked around the destroyed camp. Their was no sign of the six. Where were they at?

Suddenly, Kimi stumbled through the bushes. She fell to the ground, gasping. Her clothes were torn and muddy, and she had a ugly gash across her left cheek.

"Help," She muttered and collapsed to the ground. Naruto and Hinata quickly went over to her limp body. Naruto knelt down and picked up Kimi.

"Where are they?" He asked gently. She managed to point vaguely in the direction she'd come from, before she passed out. Naruto picked her up from the ground completely, and set her on one of the few remaining sleeping bags.

"Let's go." Naruto said determinedly. Hinata nodded. "Hai." They set off quickly through the trees. "I saw them. I'm pretty sure they're trapped in a genjutsu of some sort." She said.

Just then, a scream pierced the near silent night. Hinata looked at Naruto. He nodded, they both jumped into a small clearing similar to that of their camp.

It was Rin. She was standing in the middle of the clearing holding a cutting knife, standing over the unconscious body of her brother, Kenji.

In the tree above was the man. "Did you enjoy your dream?" He asked laughing. "Was it pleasant? I bet it was. I was there to see it."

Rin screamed. "SHUT UP! STAY AWAY FROM MY BROTHER AND SISTER!" Her eyes were wild, and her hair was plastered to her face from either tears or sweat.

"Hey! Dumbass! Leave her alone!" Naruto shouted angrily to him. If there was one thing he hated more than menma, it was definitely people who'd pick on those weaker than themselves.

The man's hood twitched, and he spoke. "Leave her alone? I think not. You see, I was hired to kill her and her siblings as anyone else who may be traveling with them. Stupid merchants...if you can even call them that." He said disgustedly.

Hinata raised a eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'If you can even call them that?' "She asked curiously.

"He means nothing." Rin stated harshly. She looked up to the man, and gripped the handle of the knife even harder.

"I mean nothing?" The man chuckled, "I'm hardly intimidated by you, little rabbit. Your uncle has been waiting for you, and so have I Rin."

Rin's hand started to tremble upon the knife. "No...he's dead...isn't he?" She asked, her voice shaking.

The man shook his head. "No, he is alive. Not well, not for long, but anxious to see his dear nieces and nephew again." The man sighed in mock sadness. "How sad that the old man may not see his beloved nieces and nephew again. You remember me I take it?" He paused. Rin nodded slowly and fearfully. The man continued. "Since he loves you so, he hired me so he may see all of your faces. One. Last. Time!" The man disappeared, and was suddenly at Rin's throat.

"You aren't very practiced in Taijutsu little rabbit. I thought my father taught you better than that." He whispered in her ear, yet the words carried across the Hinata and Naruto. Hinata looked to Naruto, and they both appeared next to the man. Naruto punched the man in the face, forcing him to relinquish his hold on Rin. Rin quickly scrambled out of the way when he did. The moment the man stood, Naruto had a hand on the man's throat. Hinata held her palm flat on the left side of his back where his heart was.

"Hey, Hinata. Could I have that kunai back?" Naruto held out his other hand for the kunai. Hinata quickly handed the weapon to him, and placed her other hand around his throat.

Naruto moved the tip of the kunai to the man's right wrist. "One wrong move..." He whispered to the man. The man's cloak still hadn't fallen off. Hinata slowly moved her hand to the hood, and grasped it, pulling it off. She gasped in surprise.

The man's face gorgeous. His face was sharp and his features were very defined. His jawline was chiseled, and the way he held himself told that he was very confident. His eyes were black and so was his hair. Though he looked handsome, Hinata could sense his arrogance and cunning. Beneath his emotionless face, Hinata could sense his seething anger and insanity, and his lust for death and blood. He bore striking resemblance to Sasuke Uchiha.

"Who- You-?" Hinata stuttered.

"My name is Ryuu." He turned his head slowly as far as he could to look at Hinata. "You are of the Hyuuga clan." He stated tonelessly.

"Hey! Look at me you coward!" Naruto snapped angrily. Ryuu turned his head slowly once more to Naruto.

"Hm...I'm not entirely sure of your heritage. You are-?"

"Uzumaki Naruto!" He spat at Ryuu. Ryuu turned his head. Now that his hood was down, he seemed to feel the need to hide his emotions.

"You are an annoying little rat." He remarked. Naruto sputtered.

"You're from the Uchiha clan," Hinata stated, ignoring Naruto. Ryuu shook his head.

"Actually, I'm not. Though we are related, I am not Uchiha." Hinata was surprised. She didn't know that the Uchihas _had _relatives.

"Then who are you?"

"Remember? Even under threat of death, I would never give away any information that could be used against me." He smiled ruefully.

Hinata rose a eyebrow. "You gave us your first name willingly enough."

"That is different. You still do not know who I am, so I told you my name. Because I knew that you'd have absolutely no idea who I am." Ryuu's smile turned into a smirk. "I never knew Leaf Shinobi were so...uneducated. Surely Konoha has better ninja to offer than this-?"

"Shut up." Naruto snarled. "You're underestimating us. _Never _underestimate us!"

Hinata looked at Naruto and said,"We should probably move him, so we can see if Kimi and the others are okay. We can interrogate him more later."

Naruto nodded, and him and Hinata carefully brought him slowly to the middle of the clearing. Soon after, his hands and feet were bound in thick rope.

Finally after Naruto finished tying up Ryuu he said, "I'm going to find Sonjun, Hiromi, and Yuri. I'll also bring Kimi here. Watch Rin and..." He paused and cast a disdainful glance at Ryuu,"_That _guy."

Hinata nodded. "Hai." Naruto jumped off through the trees. Hinata leaned against the trunk of a fallen tree. Ryuu was in the middle of the clearing, tied up completely. Rin was sitting at the base of a fallen tree, her hands wrapped tightly around her legs.

"The blonde boy seems to care for you Hinata." Hinata jumped in surprise at the sound of Ryuu's voice. She looked at him, and was silent.

"It would be a shame if you were to...I don't know...get kidnapped, then killed? That would be very sad indeed." Hinata gulped, and pulled out a ninja star. She quickly scanned the area with the Byakugan, then looked back to Ryuu. He was smiling widely at her discomfort.

"What are you suggesting?" Hinata asked, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Ryuu grinned showing his teeth.

"I'm suggesting nothing Hinata. I'm just pointing out how sad it would be if you died suddenly. The little blonde would become very angry, wouldn't he?"

Hinata glared at Ryuu as best as she could. She stayed silent.

Suddenly, Ryuu was no longer in front of her. Hinata gasped in surprise as she suddenly felt a little poke on her back. She could feel his presence behind her.

Rin's eyes widened. "Hinata? Are you okay? NAR-!" A kunai was suddenly embedded in the tree trunk behind her.

"Shut up little rabbit. You don't want your guard to die do you? If not, then _shut up_." He whispered menacingly. Rin gulped, and sat back down. Hinata fidgeted when she felt his hand slide around her waist. He then pulled her against him. The hand with the kunai moved slowly until the kunai was pressed into Hinata's side.

If anyone appeared right about now, it would appear that the two were lovers whispering into each other's ear. Rather than them being two advanced and dangerous ninja, who were ready to kill each other.

"Hinata-san, do you think the blonde would be angry if I slit your throat? Your throat is so beautiful..." Ryuu moved the kunai to her throat.

Hinata wasn't paying any attention to him. She was busy calculating how to get out of this situation. She wasn't some damsel in distress that would need saving. She could get out of this herself...probably. He said that he was related to the Uchihas. So that would mean that he would have the Sharingan. Hinata was definitely at a disadvantage.

"So...what are you going to do little Hinata? Are you afraid of me?" He questioned. He pressed the kunai lightly into her throat, drawing blood. Hinata flinched. She better come up with something quick.

"You are definitely pretty. I can see why the blonde would like you. You aren't one to get hurt easily, are you Hinata? And when you do get hurt, the blonde will hurt whoever hurt you." Ryuu chuckled darkly.

"I was offered to join the Akatsuki. I said no though. Do you know why Hinata?" Ryuu moved the kunai back to her side. Hinata shook her head. _'I hope that Naruto shows up soon.' _Hinata thought.

"I said no because I don't really like people all that much. If I joined that would involve being paired up with someone. I would be ordered around. I don't like being ordered around." Suddenly Hinata gasped in pain. She looked down to see the kunai buried deep in her side. Hinata breathed deeply, trying not to scream.

Ryuu moved the kunai back to her throat. "You want to know how many people I've killed Hinata-san? I've killed too many to count. I lost count after 10,874." Hinata blinked back tears as he pulled the knife out of her side.

"I've killed approximately 3,729 girls. All of their deaths were gory, in the eyes of everyone else. But to me, their deaths were beautiful and for to the greater good. One of them fell in love with me. I did not love them though. So I killed her. She was annoying." He moved his hand down, pulling up her shirt, revealing her bare stomach. Then he moved the kunai slowly and ran it in a smooth line across her stomach. Hinata closed her eyes. '_I am not here right now. I am at home with Neji. I am with my friends at Ichiraku Ramen. I'm with Naruto-'_ Hinata screamed, but Ryuu's hand was covering her mouth.

Rin was suddenly in front of Hinata. "Let go of her." She said, a tremor heard just slightly in her voice. The kunai was moved to Hinata's throat.

"If you do not move right now Rin, the girl dies." Ryuu said. Rin stood for a few more seconds, before a kunai was imbedded in between her eyes.

"Now where were we? Oh yes, I remember now." Ryuu mumbled into her hair, pulling out another kunai. "I love women. They love me. All women I meet end up falling "in love" with me. Love is a lie, but pain...pain is real."

He raised the kunai and thrust it into her other side. Hinata scream was once more muffled by Ryuu's hand.

"Pain...It's a constant companion in a shinobi's life. Just like your life little Hinata. Your life is accompanied by pain isn't it Hinata?" Ryuu muttered as if under a spell. He pulled the kunai out slowly.

'_Think Hinata, Think! You won't last long if this keeps up!' _Hinata frantically thought.

"Do you think I'm as handsome as the blonde?" Ryuu asked. Hinata didn't answer.

"You're particularly tight-lipped, aren't you?" He said chuckling darkly. Gently, he picked up her arm, and rolled up her sleeve. Hinata struggled to get free. This was not going to end well...

Ryuu held Hinata tightly, and while covering her mouth, he carved the Leaf Village insignia into her upper bicep. Hinata screamed into his hand.

Suddenly, she bit down hard on his hand. He didn't move or even flinch. Instead, he stabbed her in the shoulder. Hinata screamed again.

"So, as I was asking...Do you think I'm as handsome as the blonde?" Hinata nodded, tears dripping down her cheeks.

"Do not cry little Hyuuga. It will all be over soon." Ryuu whispered softly into her ear, and moved the kunai to her throat again.

"Many women love me. Which is why they are the easiest to kill. So stupid and naive...but you, you seem to not love me. Why is that?" Ryuu asked, his voice almost sounding sad.

"Maybe I don't love you because you are trying to kill me." Hinata mumbled into his hand. She thought he wouldn't hear her, but he did.

"I'm not trying to kill you. I can kill you, and I will...just not before you confess your undying affection for me. That same undying affection you have for Uzumaki Naruto." Ryuu nibbled on her ear. She flinched.

'_He's insane!'_ Hinata thought. '_Naruto, where are you at?_'

Suddenly, two ninja dressed in black cloaks like Ryuu's appeared before Hinata and Ryuu. Between them was a unconscious Naruto. The two dropped Naruto face first onto the ground.

"Naruto!" Hinata yelled. He didn't move.

"Let go of me!" She snarled. Ryuu chuckled, and released her. When he let go of her arms, she fell to her knees. She felt light-headed from blood-loss. Hinata stood up shakily, and made her way to Naruto. She reached him, and pulled his head into her lap. Then she flipped him over, and gasped.

His hair was dripping in blood, as was the rest of him. His pant legs were shredded along with his legs. His face had a deep gash down the side, revealing his cheek bone. But the worst thing was his hands and his chest. His hands now resembled slabs of bloody meat. Bones were sticking out from every which way. The front of his jacket was torn open, and a deep gash was across his chest revealing muscle and shredded skin.

Hinata was shocked. How could they take out Naruto this easily? He was nearly impossible to catch off guard, and had never, _ever _gotten knocked out in a battle before. Except for a select few times, Naruto had never lost a battle, not really. Brave Naruto, who would always fight until the last breath, who'd always fight for his friends, who'd never give up. Naruto, who'd never been taken down this easily.

The same Naruto that was before her now, with bloody lumps of meat for hands.

"What did you do to him?" Hinata whispered. She wished that she knew medical ninjutsu so she could at least stop the blood flow.

"He was uncooperative." One of the black clad ninja said tonelessly from behind her. Hinata gently ran her hand down the side of the gash on Naruto's chest. Some of her tears fell onto his face, and left a trail down his cheek.

"How touching." Ryuu's voice sounded bored and arrogant. "I wish you would care for me the way you do for him."

"Why would you care if I loved you or not? Women fall to their knees worshiping you, you said so yourself." Hinata said, her voice shaking. It was hard enough to have Neji die, Naruto couldn't die as well.

'_Dont't die...Please do not die!' _Hinata thought, tears now falling freely from her lavender eyes.

"I've never met a woman as beautiful as you Hinata-sama. You are simply ravishing." Next thing she knew, Hinata was wrapped in Ryuu's arms, her face pressed into her chest.

"Sh...It's okay to cry." He pressed his face into her hair, mumbling.

Hinata couldn't help herself. Seeing Naruto like that...it was wrong. It was also wrong to be here, crying into a psycho path's arms. But hey, at least he wasn't restraining her like before.

Suddenly, a bright idea struck Hinata's mind. She continued sobbing into Ryuu's black jacket, trying to decide whether or not this would work, based on what he'd told her.

_'I hope it works. I have to save Naruto!_' She thought determinedly.

"Ryuu..." She whispered into his cloak. "Yes?" He immediately answered. She pulled her face away from his chest and looked up at him. It was going to be hard to fake this part.

"You...You're right. I was wrong...before, when ever I was trying not to give into these feelings because, well, because you're an enemy ninja, and I thought that if I did, I'd betray Naruto and Konoha, and Naruto would be angry and-"

Ryuu grabbed her, and hugged her again and whispered, "That's all I needed to hear, little Hinata." Hinata stiffened. Was he going to kill her now?

"You know, I was going to kill you, but as I said before, you seem different. So instead, I think I'll let you live. Then maybe you'll consider leaving behind the Leaf for better prospects. You could accomplish so much with the skills you have Hinata." Ryuu inhaled her scent.

'_This guy is really creepy...'_ Hinata thought. Aloud she said,"Ryuu, I think I might love you..."

Ryuu smiled creepily at her, while one of the other black cloaked ninja scoffed.

'_Don't back down yet Hinata...'_ It was hard enough saying,'I love you' but did he really have to make it harder by smiling at her?

Suddenly, Hinata leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. Ryuu froze, then relaxed into the kiss.

Hinata was trying her best to not gag. He wasn't a bad kisser, but...yeah. It still wasn't pleasant kissing someone just to keep oneself alive.

She was trying her hardest to not relay all of her urgeny into the kiss. Instead, she tried to go slowly as if she had all the time in the world.

Behind Hinata and Ryuu, one of the ninja cleared their throat loudly. Hinata took that as a distraction, and plunged her fist into Ryuu's throat, then his abdomen.

"Argh!" He shoved Hinata away, and stumbled backwards. Hinata heard one of the ninja chuckle.

"Guess the girl doesn't like you..." He muttered.

"Shut up!" Ryuu snarled, then looked at Hinata.

"I was going to let thou live, but not any more. You've lost that chance Little Hinata." Quicker than her eyes could follow, he waved his hands, and a slicing wind cut her cheek then knocked her off of her feet.

Hinata touched her cheek, which had a thin trail of blood rolling down the side. '_Great, another injury to irk and annoy and slow me down...' _Hinata thought.

"Any last words?" Ryuu stood before her, a kunai in hand. He had a leg placed on eith side of her. There would be no evading this attack.

Hinata didn't answer. She looked up calmly into his Sharingan. She sooner die staring him down than she would watching the ground.

"Good Night Hinata-sama. Rest in peace!" Ryuu yelled, and Hinata squeezed her eyes shut.

Hinata waited for the blow, but none came. Slowly and hesitantly, Hibata opened her eyes to see Naruto standing above her. The two ninja who had taken him down had kunais protruding from their heads. Ryuu had numerous kunais on his body. It looked like he'd been caught in a kunai storm.

"Naruto," Hinata started. He stood there for a few more seconds, then fell to his knees. Just before he fell on his face though, Hinata caught him and pulled his head into her lap once more.

"Hi...nat...a..." He mumbled. She reached forward and grabbed his hand tightly saying, "I'm here Naruto."

He smiled slowly. "Good. Stay here forever." Hinata inhaled sharply trying not to let loose a sob.

Naruto was annoyed. What a stupid way to die. He could've died nobly in the war, but oh God forbid he die in a brave way. Instead he had to die from blood loss. It was stupid that he didn't notice the enemy sneaking up on him. He assumed that they had all been killed. Boy was he wrong. After they took him down, to make sure that he didn't try to escape, they mauled his hands and sliced his legs repeatedly. Well, even if he was going to die here, at least he was in the warm embrace of Hinata's arms.

Naruto looked up at her fondly. She didn't notice because she was inspecting his chest wound. He looked at her perfect face. Even though it was blood splattered, and had dried tears, her face was still angelic. Naruto frowned when he saw her wounds to the side, and the cut on her cheek. '_He hurt her...' _Naruto started to feel angry at himself. He failed to protect Hinata, as he'd promised to himself that he would do. His anger quickly dissipated, and gave away to happiness. Even if she had gotten hurt, she was alive. He'd kill himself a million times over if Hinata could live forever. He didn't want to live in a world without her.

'_Maybe now I can tell her how I feel without interruption._' Naruto thought.

"Hinata..." Naruto whispered. He was unable to speak any louder.

Hinata immediately turned her attention to him. "Yes?" She asked. Her left arm was draped across his chest, and her other hand held his.

"I love you. Never forget that. Even if I die here...I will always love you. Forever and always."

A stray tear made it's way down Hinata's cheek. Naruto reached up a bloody hand and, his jacket sleeve covering his hand, wiped it away.

"Don't cry Hinata. It'll be okay." He mumbled, his hand still resting on her cheek. Hinata closed her eyes, the tears falling silently and freely.

"I'm going to sleep now..." Naruto whispered again, then was still. His grip on her hand went limp.

"No..." Hinata's eyes widened. "No, Naruto. Naruto, wake up! Keep your eyes open!" She commanded.

Naruto didn't answer.

"Don't leave me Naruto! Don't say good bye! Not yet! Byakugan!" Hinata activated her Byakugan and saw that his chakra system was still flowing. His heart still beating. Yet he didn't answer her. It wasn't like him to keep people waiting.

"Naruto..." Hinata was sobbing loudly now. "I love you. Please, I beg you, please don't leave. Remember Sakura? Sai? Sasuke? Kakashi? Don't let them down! Don't die! Not here! Not now!" Hinata cradled his lifeless body in her arms, and rested her head on his shoulder.

There is where she fell asleep, holding the empty shell of what used to be Uzumaki Naruto. There is where he whispered his last words to her.

...

...

...

...

'_I love you Hinata.'_

* * *

_Three Days Later_

Hinata was confused by the sight of a white room when she awoke. Where was she?

"Oh thank god you're awake!" A voice exclaimed in relief. Suddenly, was wrapped in the arms of her old teammate.

"K-Kiba?" She asked. Then, it all came back.

Blood.

Ryuu.

Naruto.

Dead.

Hinata inhaled Kiba's woodsy smell. This felt like a dream...

Kiba moved away, allowing Hinata to see the rest of the people in the room. Akamaru, Shino, Tenten, Lee, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, and finally Sai.

They all looked at her, happy expressions on their faces.

"Hinata," Everyone started to swarm her, bombarding her with questions. The only thing Hinata wondered was why...Why were they all here? And...

"Where's Naruto?" She asked loudly, over the chatter of the room. They all exchanged glances, and Hinata noticed Sakura's absence.

"Hinata..." Shino began. Suddenly, the door flew open, and in stepped Sakura, dressed in the hospital's nurse uniform.

"All right everyone, you all need to leave now." Sakura ordered. Some left quietly, while others didn't.

Akamaru barked in protest. "Why do we need to leave now? Hinata just woke-!" Kiba's protest was cut off by Shino nearly dragging him from the room.

Sakura closed the door after everyone had left. Hinata watched her come over a flick her IV.

"What happened after I passed out? Where's Naruto? What-?" Sakura held up her hand for silence. Hinata promptly shut her mouth.

Just then, the door opened and in stepped Lady Tsunade, accompanied by Shizune, Kakashi, and Kurenai.

"Lady Tsunade-" Hinata started, and was once more silenced by a look from Sakura. Normally Hinata wasn't one to constantly bombard people with questions, but what with happened...

"Hinata, do you remember anything from the last three days?" Tsunade asked. Hinata's eyes widened. She'd been asleep for three days?!

"No, Lady Tsunade, but-" Hinata paused.

"But what?"

"Where is Naruto?" Hinata asked. Tsunade sighed. "No point in hiding it from you if you're going to leave tonight. You'll find out eventually."

Hinata raised a eyebrow. "Hide what-?"

"Naruto is alive. But he's in a coma. Nothing will awaken him." Hinata gasped.

"How-?" She started. She had _so _many questions.

"I will explain everything that we know as of right now. The group of merchants you and Naruto were assigned to escort were actually all royalty. The three siblings, Kimi, Kenji, and Rin, were escapees from their uncle in the Village Hidden in the Waterfalls. Their uncle is the feudal lord of the land, and he is only a temporary lord. Kenji, would be the actual lord. Their uncle sought the power over the land for himself, so he ordered a secret group of assassins to execute Kenji and his two sisters. The siblings found out before the assassins could attack, and they told their friends, Sonjun, Hiromi, and Yuri of their uncle's plot."

"Sonjun is the heir to the feudal lord from the Land of Water. Hiromi is the heir to the Land of Grass. His sister would be the next heir after Hiromi. The six royals have been lifelong friends, and Hiromi, Yuri, and Sonjun immediately came up with a plan for the Waterfall siblings' escape."

"They planned to leave the country posing as merchants, and make it back to Hiromi and Yuri's land in disguise. They then planned to expose their uncle. To ensure they had a bit of protection, they enlisted the help from two ninja from the leaf. You and Naruto. But, obviously, the plan failed."

"The group of ninja you met were the assassins sent to kill the Waterfall siblings. We just only put together the pieces of the puzzle, and sent out a rescue team for you two after we hadn't heard anything for 2 days."

"So Hinata," Tsunade finished her speech,"Think. Did you hear of the names of any of the ninja?"

Hinata frowned. Ryuu... he was a lunatic disguised as a handsome man. She didn't like thinking about what had happened.

"Ryuu. That's the name of the ninja who stabbed and cut me repeatedly. He told me..." Hinata trailed off.

"Yes?" Shizune prompted.

"He told me that he was related to the Uchihas." Hinata finished. Ryuu, and his blood red eyes...his lust for blood.

"But-" Shizune sputtered. Kakashi and Kurenai both looked at her, shocked. Tsunade was the only one who didn't visibly react.

"He could've been lying." Kurenai started. "The Uchihas had no relatives. And their entire clan was massacred-"

"No. He wasn't lying. He had the Sharingan. I saw it. Either he really is related to the Uchihas, or is a Uchiha, or he found some jutsu to mask his true identity." Hinata cut in.

Everyone stared ahead blankly, shocked into silence. Madara had been killed, as had Tobi and Itachi. Which meant that Sasuke was the last and only Uchiha left. Last Hinata heard, he was bent on continuing his clan, but until then...

"So then," Kakashi cleared his throat. "If that's all you remember, I'll be taking my leave." Kakashi nodded to Tsunade, Kurenai, Shizune, and Hinata.

"Bye." Suddenly, he was gone. Kurenai sighed.

"I need to be going as well. Bye Hinata. Tsunade, Shizune." She too disappeared. Finally, it was only Tsunade and Shizune.

"Well, I've got some paper work to attend to, and I'll need to speak to the ANBU about this new piece of intel. Shizune, let's go." Shizune nodded, and walked out before Tsunade.

Just as Tsunade was leaving, Hinata called to her. "Lady Tsunade..."

Tsunade stopped in the doorway, and replied. "Yes?"

Hinata breathed deeply. "Naruto...he's going to be...okay, right?" She asked.

Tsunade was silent for a few seconds, then replied, "He should be okay." Tsunade looked over her shoulder at Hinata, and gave her a reassuring smile, then walked out.

Hinata sighed sadly. She hoped that he'd be okay. It was her fault that he was like this. If she hadn't gotten caught by Ryuu, she could've been watching him, and would've seen the two ninja attack him. She could've came to his aid. She could've prevented him from being injured as badly as he was.

So many could'ves, but the one thing she regretted...

' _"I love you. Never forget that. Even if I die here...I will always love you. Forever and always." Naruto said. '_

She regretted that she couldn't go back in time and say, 'I love you too.'

She regretted that she couldn't protect him in time.

She regretted that she was unable to be there when he needed her most.

* * *

_Six Months Later...(_**A lot of time's passed hasn't it?**)

Everyday, Hinata visited Naruto in the hospital. On every Saturday, she brought a new bouquet of flowers for the empty vase that sat on his bed side table.

She never gave up hope that he might wake up. At first, she thought that he would wake up soon after her, but she was wrong. He didn't wake up that first day, or the second, or the third, or the fourth...In fact a 6 month had passed and he still hadn't awoken. Yet Hinata still came everyday. She wanted to be the first person he saw when he came back. She wanted to be able to tell him, "I love you."

Hinata set the new rose bouquet in the empty vase, and sat down in a chair next to Naruto's bed. She sat there for a few seconds until finally she spoke.

"Hey Naruto. It's been awhile hasn't it? It feels like forever...it's been half a year since that mission we had together. Remember what you told me? You told me that you love me." Hinata reached forward, and grabbed his hand.

"I want to tell you that I love you too. But I want to tell it to you when you are awake. I want to see you smile again...I miss you Naruto."

"A lot's happened in the last 6 months. I was promoted to the ANBU. Kiba and Shino are both special-jounin, and Sakura is supposedly being promoted to ANBU as well. Sai is in the ANBU too, and Tenten and Lee are both on a important S-Rank mission currently. Sane with Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji. The three of them are special-jounin as well." Hinata paused.

"We've all grown up while you were here. I hope you wake up soon." Tears started to fall down her cheeks. Hinata wiped them aside, and smiled sadly at the comatose blonde. She remembered when he used to be so jumpy and excited and...alive. Now he was only a shadow of what he used to be.

"Well, I've got to be going now. Bye Naruto." Hinata released his hand, and started to the door. Suddenly, she stopped, and did something she'd never dare to do if he was awake.

She bent down and kissed him on the lips softly, her tears falling gently onto his face.

"I love you." She whispered, and left.

A breeze blew the curtains softly aside to reveal the last light of day. The last rays of gold shone upon Naruto's peaceful face. Underneath the golden sunset, a smile slowly curved upon Naruto's face as he recounted Hinata's words of parting to him.

* * *

_The Next Day_(**I really need to wrap this up...**)

Hinata walked into Naruto's hospital room, expecting to see Naruto on the bed as always. She was shocked to she him fully dressed in his regular orange jump-suit, sitting by the window staring out of it. He didn't even look as if he'd been in the hospital at all.

"Naru-Naruto?" Hinata gasped. Naruto slowly turned to look at the dumb-founded Hinata.

"Are you-? You-? How are you-?" Hinata sputtered. Naruto ignored her, and stood up smiling. He then walked over to her and wrapped her in a warm hug.

Naruto smelled her sweet cinnamon and lavender scent, then smiled even wider. This is what he was staying alive for. She was the thing that keep him going in his coma rather than him just giving in. Hinata...

"I love you too." He said into her hair. Hinata inhaled sharply. Was he-?

"I heard all that you said the other day. I was awake the entire time." Naruto ended the hug, but kept his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Naruto-" Hinata began, only to be cut off by Naruto kissing her.

Hinata closed her eyes and kissed him back, blushing fiercely. Suddenly, Naruto pulled away, grinning. Hinata watched his expression confused.

"Well Hinata, firstly we've got a lot of dating to catch up on. And secondly," He pulled her next to his side, "I can't let everyone pass me up! Remember, I'm going to be Hokage some day!" Naruto said triumphantly.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" He said, then looked to Hinata expectantly.

"We? What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

"I mean that I want to be with you Hinata. I love you, and I always will, remember? Forever and always." He smiled at her.

Hinata nodded smiling too. "Forever and always." She reached forward and grabbed his hand.

Together, they jumped out of the window, and onto the ground. As they were walking Hinata realized something.

"Wait, Naruto, why did we leave the hospital from the window?" She asked. Naruto looked at her, a sheepish look on his face.

"Um...well you see I-" He began.

"NARUTO!" The angry voice of Sakura washed over them. Hinata turned to see a bright haired pinkette leaning out Naruto's now vacant room. "I DON'T CARE IF YOU JUST WOKE UP FROM A 6 MONTH COMA! IF YOU DON'T GET BACK IN THIS HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW, I WILL PUT YOU IN A COMA FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!"

Naruto gulped. "We should go." He cast a anxious glance back over his shoulder at Sakura. Hinata giggled as Sakura appeared before them, a evil expression on her face.

Naruto, meanwhile, was already off and running.

"I'll see you later Hinata!" He yelled to her. Hinata started to laugh watching Sakura chase after him screaming, "YOU DOBE! GET BACK HERE!"

Yep, Naruto was back. Through his fear, Naruto thought of Hinata.

'_Now that I have her, I'm never going to let her go.' _He thought.

Yep, Naruto was definitely back.

* * *

**Whew! That took me about a week to write! The little fore note you read before was from past me. This note is from future me! Yayyyyy...Anywho, that was a long time. But it was worth it. Especially because I made my friend read this at school. She read Naruto's death, and started say,"No. No." over and over. She ended up cussing me out, and we got a lot of weird looks from our classmates who were in the room at the time. Of course they all happen to not be Otakus. Of course they happen to be some of the more popular people at our school. Of _course _they were all guys! XD funniest moment evar!**

**Well, as per usual to my other story...**

**See ya Later! Spicy Noodles out!**


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